West Seattle has some amazing hidden gems that capture Seattle’s unique quirky charm: a giant troll in Lincoln Park, the Alki Flower House, and a mini Statue of Liberty are just a few examples. The Salmon Bone Bridge is another must-see and it just recently reopened after being closed for months. The Salmon Bone Bridge was designed by Seattle-based environmental artist Lorna Jordan and was installed in 1999. It’s also sometimes called the Adams Fish Bridge. The pedestrian bridge, designed to resemble a fish skeleton, now has a fresh coat of paint on its “bones” and a restored deck, among other improvements.
Read on for all the details!
The Salmon Bone Bridge has been closed for a rehabilitation project during parts of 2024 and 2025. The bridge first closed for repairs in the summer of 2024. During this time Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) replaced the recycled cedar deck, which had deteriorated, with a restored deck that they described as “more durable, accessible, safer, and requires less maintenance.” The replacement deck still retains the herringbone pattern that was part of the original bridge design.
The remainder of the work was just finished over the summer of 2025. The bridge rehabilitation project needed to be scheduled around fish migration windows, which is why it couldn’t happen all at once. The most recent improvements included replacing the bridge’s safety cables, repainting the metal “bones” of the bridge, and planting two trees.
Now the Salmon Bone Bridge is ready to be enjoyed by the public again. SPU shared that the community will now find that the bridge is safer and has easier pedestrian access to the bridge—particularly for the sight-impaired. It will also need fewer maintenance closures in the future.
If you want to check out the Salmon Bone Bridge for yourself, head to the north end of the Longfellow Creek Legacy Trail in West Seattle. You’ll find the bridge in the green space between SW Nevada St/SW Yancy St and 28th Ave SW/26th Ave SW. It is located near the Dragonfly Garden and Pavilion (4111 26th Ave SW), which was also designed by Lorna Jordan!